Two-wire/four-wire converter

Abstract

A two-wire/four-wire converter for coupling a two-wire communications path carrying analog transmission and reception signals to a four-wire communications path having a two-wire transmission path carrying digital transmission signals and a two-wire reception path carrying digital reception signals, includes an analog/digital converter having an input coupled to the two-wire communications path and an output coupled to the two-wire reception path. An adder has one input connected to the two-wire reception path and another input connected to the two-wire transmission path. A digital filter with an adjustable communications function generates a predetermined terminating impedance for the two-wire transmission path. The digital filter has an input connected to the output of the adder and an output. A subtractor has one input connected to the output of the digital filter, another input coupled to the output of the analog/digital converter and an output. A digital/analog converter has an input coupled to the output of the subtractor and an output. A resistor is connected between the output of the digital/analog converter and the input of the analog/digital converter.

I claim: 
     
       1. In a communication system having a two-wire communications path carrying analog transmission and reception signals, and a four-wire communications path including a two-wire transmission path carrying digital transmission signals and a two-wire reception path carrying digital reception signals; a two-wire/four-wire converter for coupling the two-wire communications path to the four-wire communications path, comprising:   an analog/digital converter having an input coupled to the two-wire communications path and an output coupled to the two-wire reception path;   an adder having one input connected to the two-wire reception path and another input connected to the two-wire transmission path;   a digital filter with an adjustable communications function for generating a predetermined terminating impedance for the two-wire transmission path, said digital filter having an input connected to the output of said adder, and an output;   a subtractor having one input connected to the output of said digital filter, another input coupled to the output of said analog/digital converter, and an output;   a digital/analog converter having an input coupled to the output of said subtractor, and an output; and   a resistor connected between the output of said digital/analog converter and the input of said analog/digital converter.   
     
     
       2. The two-wire/four-wire converter according to claim 1, wherein the two-wire communications path has a communications function, and the communications function of said digital filter includes a partial communications function being equal to the inverse value of the communications function of the two-wire communications path multiplied by the resistance of said resistor. 
     
     
       3. The two-wire/four-wire converter of according to claim 1, wherein the communications function of said digital filter includes a partial communications function exhibiting conducting-state behavior at a given frequency. 
     
     
       4. The two-wire/four-wire converter of according to claim 1, wherein the two-wire communications path forms an impedance at a given frequency having a resistance being greater than the resistance of said resistor by a certain factor. 
     
     
       5. The two-wire/four-wire converter of according to claim 1, including a transformer coupling the input of said analog/digital converter and the output of said digital/analog converter to the two-wire communications path. 
     
     
       6. The two-wire/four-wire converter of according to claim 1, wherein said analog/digital converter has a raised sampling rate, and including a sampling rate reducing device connected downstream of said analog/digital converter. 
     
     
       7. The two-wire/four-wire converter of according to claim 1, wherein said digital/analog converter has a raised sampling rate, and including a sampling rate raising device connected upstream of said analog/digital converter. 
     
     
       8. The two-wire/four-wire converter of according to claim 1, wherein said digital filter is a wave digital filter. 
     
     
       9. The two-wire/four-wire converter of according to claim 1, wherein said digital filter is an adaptive digital filter.